BTM: On the Court with Community Partner HFK
12/1/2014 12:00:00 PM | General, Men's Tennis, Battle in the Bay Classic
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The University of San Francisco athletics department stands on the "Four Pillars of Success," and one of those pillars is "engage in the community."
Along with volunteering at area schools with classroom visits through the Harper for Kids program, the Dons use the platform of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success to bring hands-on learning into the community. At USF's annual Battle in the Bay Classic, the men's tennis team hosts a Kids Day, where the student-athletes become the teachers.
"Each one of our athletes in involved with some of their instruction," explains USF Director of Tennis, Peter Bartlett. "It's really great. [The kids] get to rotate through different areas and get to learn different parts of the game, but each one of our athletes oversees those areas in teaching them a principal – a block on the pyramid – but at the same time teaching them actually how to play the game of tennis."
Christian Brockstedt, a sophomore from Aarhus, Denmark, sees this as an opportunity to pay it forward to the youth in his home away from home.
"I feel like we have a responsibility when we represent USF," he said. "[USF] is such an amazing program, and they give us so much that it is easy for us to just give a little bit back. I'm happy to help out the kids, and I'm happy to help out the community."
This spotlight on Harper for Kids is the final released segment in Episode 3 of USF Athletics' feature series, Behind the Mask – the show that goes beyond the game. Episode 4 will hit the Comcast SportsNet California airwaves in mid-December; check local listings for dates and times.
To learn more about Harper for Kids and their influence in the San Francisco Bay Area, please visit their website here.
The University of San Francisco athletics department stands on the "Four Pillars of Success," and one of those pillars is "engage in the community."
Along with volunteering at area schools with classroom visits through the Harper for Kids program, the Dons use the platform of John Wooden's Pyramid of Success to bring hands-on learning into the community. At USF's annual Battle in the Bay Classic, the men's tennis team hosts a Kids Day, where the student-athletes become the teachers.
"Each one of our athletes in involved with some of their instruction," explains USF Director of Tennis, Peter Bartlett. "It's really great. [The kids] get to rotate through different areas and get to learn different parts of the game, but each one of our athletes oversees those areas in teaching them a principal – a block on the pyramid – but at the same time teaching them actually how to play the game of tennis."
Christian Brockstedt, a sophomore from Aarhus, Denmark, sees this as an opportunity to pay it forward to the youth in his home away from home.
"I feel like we have a responsibility when we represent USF," he said. "[USF] is such an amazing program, and they give us so much that it is easy for us to just give a little bit back. I'm happy to help out the kids, and I'm happy to help out the community."
This spotlight on Harper for Kids is the final released segment in Episode 3 of USF Athletics' feature series, Behind the Mask – the show that goes beyond the game. Episode 4 will hit the Comcast SportsNet California airwaves in mid-December; check local listings for dates and times.
To learn more about Harper for Kids and their influence in the San Francisco Bay Area, please visit their website here.
Players Mentioned
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